Round of 16 hopes can be boosted in the first legs of the UEFA Champions League knockout phase play-offs. Manchester City meet Real Madrid and Paris must overcome French counterparts Brest in the UEFA Champions League knockout phase play-offs.

Friday morning, UEFA conducted the draw for the Champion League's new playoff phase, which essentially adds one more round to the previous format's knockout stage. 16 teams were sorted, with pairings influenced (but not entirely determined) by order of finish in the group stage.

The UEFA Champions League's first-ever league phase will come to a dramatic close on Wednesday, when all 18 games will kick off at once with several spots in the knockout stages up for grabs. All but nine teams are still in the running to qualify for the next rounds,

NYON, Switzerland (AP) — Draw made Friday for the knockout playoffs round in the UEFA Champions League: Atalanta (Italy) vs. Club Brugge (Belgium) – winner will play Lille or Aston Villa

The UEFA Champions League knockout round draw is Friday, with 24 of Europe's top soccer clubs entering the playoff phase. Here's what to know.

Will Barcelona reign supreme for a third year in a row? Well, we don't have long to wait as the knockout draw is set to take place on 7 February.

Real Madrid will play Manchester City in the Champions League knockout playoffs round in a standout clash of the past two title winners after the draw was made Friday.

It will be Real Madrid vs. Manchester City yet again in the Champions League — but never as early as this, and for the first time with a Kylian Mbappé vs. Erling Haaland matchup. Two heavyweights who struggled in the new eight-game league phase were the standout pairing Friday in the draw for the new knockout playoffs round.

Manchester City's Kevin De Bruyne kicks the ball with Real Madrid's Toni Kroos during the Champions League quarterfinal second leg soccer match between Manchester City and Real Madrid at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester,